Let's Be Runaways
by gezundheit
Summary: Sam and Dean stumble upon a promising young hunter in the small town of Dallas, Oregon, and agree to let her join them on their neverending road trip of death. Talia quickly becomes part of the family as she and the boys chase a new threat, but to Dean, she becomes a little more important than family. Family don't end in blood, and neither does love. But love can result in blood.
1. Chapter One: Ain't No Rest for the Wicke

Runaways: A Supernatural Fanfiction

Chapter One: Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

(Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant)

"Please tell me you found us a job." Dean said to his brother, who was in shotgun. They were speeding down a nearly deserted highway, Dean pushing way over the speed limit.

"Yeah, I think I've got one." Sam flipped the newspaper he was examining back to the front page.

"Awesome."

"So get this. Over the past three weeks, there have been four suspicious murders and two grave desecrations in Dallas. One of the-"

"Texas?"

"No. Oregon. Anyways, one of the murders was a kid who went camping in the woods, ended up inside out. Another was a teenage couple in the same woods, drowned in the river, bodies never found. Last one was a park ranger exploring the area who got ripped apart. Sound like our kind of thing?" Sam finished, putting down the paper and looking up at his brother.

"Sounds good enough." Dean veered on to the interstate, speeding up and turning on the radio.

Two days later, the Impala pulled in front of a diner in the small town of Dallas, Oregon, much to the chagrin of Sam, who wanted to go to the police station. Dean however, was intent on having some good old roadside diner grub and since he was driving, that's what they ended up doing.

"Dean, you couldn't have waited two hours so we could figure out what this was and at least talk over food?" Sam asked as they got out of the car.

"Ugh, Sammy if you're so intent on going to the police station then go." Dean said, lazily tossing Sam the keys. "But don't break my car."

"Thank you." Sam said exasperatedly, crossing to the driver's side.

Dean entered the diner and stopped for a moment to appreciate the smell before sitting down at a barstool at the counter. He examined the menu for a moment before a waitress approached him.

"Afternoon sir, what can I get you?"

Dean studied the girl for a second. She was pretty young, maybe mid twenties, and he had to admit she was pretty cute: mid length black curls pulled into a sloppy ponytail, nice fitting skinny jeans and big light brown, almost golden eyes framed by strong brows. Freckles accented her bright eyes, and she would probably seem a little intimidating if he hadn't been Dean Winchester.

"Surprise me." Dean said, flashing the smile that he knew was killer. The girl gave him a sarcastic smile then spun, scrawling on her notepad. Dean watched her retreat for a moment before looking around.

The diner was pretty small, maybe fifteen or sixteen people in it. The whole town was pretty small actually, Dean noted. The people were all pretty mellow, the whole thing was pretty drab actually. Normally there weren't four murders and two grave desecrations in towns like this, but ghosts and crap were pretty weird. Not really any ground rules with these sort of things, guessed.

The waitress returned pretty quickly, holding a big plate. It looked to be a giant bacon burger with thick cut fries, Dean's favorite kind. A smile of satisfaction played across his lips. She slammed the plate in front of him with flourish, a proud smile brightening her face.

"The special." She announced, with an edge to her voice that made it pretty clear that this was the most expensive thing on the menu, but Dean honestly didn't care.

"That looks friggen amazing." He said, his mouth watering as he pulled the plate towards him. "Can I get a beer?"

The girl reached under the counter and tossed him a cold one. Dean glanced at her nametag.

"Well thanks, Lia. Think I could repay you a bit later tonight?" He said, flashing another smile he knew always worked.

Lia burst into sudden laughter, then stopped abruptly. "No." She gave him a flat look, a spark of mischief in her bright eyes. "But you can repay me in ten minutes with a forty dollar tip!" She said cheerfully, spinning on her heel and flouncing away.

Dean couldn't help but chuckle a bit as he turned toward his burger.

"Dean!"

Dean turned to see Sam coming through the door, his suit on and a couple of folders in his hands. He dropped into the seat beside his brother, putting the folders in front of him.

"So I figured out most of what's going on." Sam said.

"What's the word?" Dean said through a mouthful of juicy meat.

Sam's lip curled in disgust at his brother, but he opened one of the folders. "The graves desecrated both belong to kids who died in 1984 while on a camping trip- get this- in the woods where all four murders happened. I'm thinking a couple of vengeful spirits were disturbed, woke up angry, and went on a killing spree in their death spot." Sam finished, gesturing at the folders, which Dean ignored. Too many words.

"Sounds about right." Dean said, taking another big bite. "Salt and burn tonight, then I'm going to a bar."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Of course you are."

"You know where the graves are?" Dean asked.

Sam closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as his brother purposely chewed like a three year old just to annoy him. "Yeah, they're in two different places. I'll take one, you take the other." Sam said. Dean nodded, and Sam sighed, pushing to his feet. "I'll meet you outside, we can go find a motel.

Dean finished his food a few minutes later, then pulled out fifty bucks to pay for his ten dollar meal. On one of the bills he messily scrawled:

The nearest bar. Tonight.

He smirked at his own cleverness before going out to meet his brother.

The boys found a motel a couple blocks over and got the cheapest room. Sam did some research and Dean decided to head to the nearest gas station to fill up Baby and get some snacks and beer.

The gas station was pretty small, and there was only one other car there when he showed up. The fuel was cheap, and when he threw open the door to the mini mart, the warm air inside was a nice contrast to the freezing wet Oregon air. Dean crossed to the back of the place to grab an eight pack and some mini donuts.

When he turned around, loot in hand, he paused, seeing the waitress, Lia, at the checkout. He was about to say something when he hear the clerk talking to her.

"There you go Mari. Enjoy, and you can grab a coffee on your way out. On the house." Lia-Mari- whatever her friggen name was flashed him a smile, collecting her bag and heading for the door, grabbing a coffee on the way out.

Dean's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he watched her go.

When he got back to the motel, Sam was deep into research mode, so Dean decided to crash for a bit. The motel beds were lumpy, but it was better than the ground, so he'd take it.

Dean slept for hours, and didn't wake up until it was dark, around eight. Sam was gone, but Baby was still outside. Dean figured he'd just gone to get food, and since it was too early to dig up a grave, he decided to go the bar. He'd driven by it on his way to the gas station; it was some place called The Lone Star, probably some dumb play on the fact that the town was called Dallas. Rubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes, he pulled on his boots and slid into his car.

The bar actually wasn't too shabby of a place, he'd give it that. Not enough hot women for his taste though, and most of them were in corners talking civilly with people. The beer was good, so he wasn't complaining. He was pretty sure the girl from the diner would show up, and then maybe he could figure out why she had two names.

After five or six beers Dean stepped outside to call and check in on Sam, just to be safe. He wasn't about to babysit the kid, but he wanted to be sure he was alright.

"Hey Sammy, you good?"

"Yeah, I'm just heading over to the cemetery one of our guys is at. I'll let you know when I'm done. And Dean, make sure you actually do your job." Sam scolded.

"Yeah yeah, I've got it co-" Dean cut himself off, his eyes locking on the diner girl who was getting out of her car across the street. "Gotta go Sam." He hung up, shoving the phone in his pocket.

Dean cut the girl off near an alley beside the bar. She was wearing a bartender's outfit now, and the name on her shirt said 'Marina'. He put himself assertively in front of her, angling himself so she was between him and the alley and he could easily cut off her escape routes if need be.

"So it's Marina now, is it?" He said, his face set in suspicion and his voice low and accusing. His shoulders were tight and his jaw tensed, ready for whatever might come. "Why are you following me, _Marina_?" His voice dripped accusatory sarcasm.

"I'm not following you, you idiot." She said, putting a hand on her hip and meeting his death glare with one of her own.

"Oh yeah? Then explain why I've seen you in three different places today, and in each place you've had a different name." Dean shot back, his hand migrating toward his demon knife.

"I'm not following you, Dean Winchester." She didn't back away from his stare.

Dean lunged, slamming her into the brick wall of the alley, a forearm across her throat. Her feet lifted a few inches off the ground, but she didn't flinch.

"How do you know me?" Dean growled, his face inches from hers.

"I hear your brother at the diner you moron. And you guys are pretty famous in the world of hunters, so it wasn't too hard to figure out." She said calmly, before pulling her knee into Dean's stomach and slamming her elbow into his jaw. He backed up a few steps, his hand going to his face as he spit blood on the ground. She didn't move, just stood there staring at him steadily.

"Now that we're even, come in and have a drink with me." She said. Dean begrudgingly followed her, rubbing his jaw.

Dean returned to his spot at the bar and the newly deemed Marina pulled him up a beer, and one for herself.

"First tell me your real name." Dean said, taking a deep pull from his beer.

"Talia Marina Nolan." She said, gulping from her own drink. "Lia, Mari, Marina. Technically all the same name." She raised an eyebrow in challenge, daring him to argue. He didn't.

"Talia. Alright. Now what are you doing here? Are you a hunter?" Dean asked, studying her. Now that he looked, her golden eyes did hold the dull edge all those in the life had. Well, except for maybe Garth, but he was special.

"Yeah, I'm a hunter. I came here for a job about three weeks ago, but took care of it quickly. I picked up a couple jobs in my first week cause I was running low on cash. I plan on leaving within the next week." She pulled up a couple more beers and passed them off to the other bartender.

"Is that what the murders and grave desecrations were?" Dean asked.

Talia nodded, taking another drag from her bottle. "Just salt and burns. Couple of stupid kids messing around on a cursed campsite woke up some vengeful spirits."

For a second, Dean very seriously considered not telling Sam and letting him dig up an empty grave, but then he felt bad for the kid. When Talia turned to help some other dude, Dean pulled out his phone and caught Sam up, then hung up before Sam could ask where he was.

"So how'd you get into the life?" Dean asked when she returned. "You're such a sweet young thing." He said flirtily. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

Talia gave him a strange look, her golden eyes a little disconcerting as she studied him intently. "Ain't no rest for the wicked, I guess." She shrugged. "My dad was a hunter, mom killed when I was young. He was a crap dad, I only met him once when I was fifteen. I lived with my aunt until i was eighteen, then got out as soon as I could. First night on my own I was attacked by a couple of vamps, but luckily that was the one thing I heard my dad mention about the job when i met him: how to kill a vampire. Of course I thought he was crazy at the time, but…" Talia shrugged again, emptying her beer. "Been a hunter ever since."

"I know a thing or two about crap dads, trust me." Dean said, raising his eyebrows at her before finishing off his beer. Talia passed him another.

"What about you, the legendary Dean Winchester?" She asked.

"That is a story for tomorrow. Maybe around nine." Dean replied with a smirk. Talia gave a short laugh, and her smile left Dean a little stunned.

"Alright pretty boy. If you're that desperate."

After a few more hours of casual talk, Dean returned to the motel with a buzz in his chest that was different from the alcohol one he usually went home with. He ignored it though, chalking it up to being drunk rather than admitting it to be the dangerous feelings it showed signs of being. He knew he couldn't get drunk off of beer though, unfortunately. Oh well. A man can hope.


	2. Chapter Two: Bring Me To Life

Chapter Two: Bring Me to Life

(Bring Me To Life- Evanescence)

Dean woke up the next morning to Sam yelling at him to wake up.

"What? What?!" He ended up falling off the motel bed. "Dude, that was the best sleep I've had in months, why'd you have to wake me up?" He complained, peeling himself off the floor.

"I'm gonna find us a new job, then we can get out of here." Sam said, pulling on his jacket.

"No! I mean, nah, we should stay for a few days first. Just to be sure everything's quiet." Dean said, trying to act casual. He wasn't sure why exactly he felt so strongly about staying, but he didn't think about it too hard.

"Uh, why?" Sam gave him a confused look, freezing with his hand on the doorknob. "Didn't you say there was another hunter here who had already taken care of everything like a week ago?"

"Well yeah, but we should still stay for a little while longer." Dean paused, trying to think of an excuse Sam would believe. "It's quiet here. I just wanna sleep for a bit dude, I mean I haven't been getting my four hours." Dean gave a not very convincing smile, but he was the one with the keys, so there wasn't much Sam could do.

"Alright, fine. I'm gonna go get some grub then." Sam replied, pulling the door shut behind him.

Dean stretched out on the bed, thinking of returning to the diner. He could use another burger like the one he'd had the day before. Wiggling his toes, he gave a satisfied sigh and glanced at the clock. Nearly one o'clock. Eight hours until...until what? Oh right. The bar.

Rolling his shoulders as he pulled himself upright, he hoped the shower at this motel wasn't too shabby. The last couple they'd been to had had almost no hot water. He was not disappointed.

Dean found a clean shirt then grabbed his jacket and keys, practically hearing the burger call his name. The diner was mostly empty when he got there. Must've just missed the lunch rush. He dropped into the same seat where he'd been the day before, this time actually reading the menu.

When a waitress came to take his order, he had the weirdest feeling of disappointment that it wasn't Talia, but he pushed it away. Number one rule of the life: no outside attachments because everyone you love will die. Dean kept his eye on the monitor displaying recent news as he waited for his food, not noticing anything too strange. Nothing that would warrant a trip across the country to see if it was a case at least.

"Bacon burger again? Are you asking for cardiac arrest?"

At the sound of that sarcastic voice, Dean spun around on his stool to see Talia holding another giant plate of food.

"Ah, fantastic. And if cardiac arrest is a side effect of delicious food, that's okay with me. I've been through worse. I actually once died from electric shock to the heart!" Dean said with a false sugar in his voice as he remembered.

Talia's golden eyes got unfocused, and she seemed to be staring through the walls. Dean understood the look: bad memories.

"Just one fantastic side effect of the life, am I right?" She said, her voice dripping contempt. "Anyways, enjoy the grub." Passing him the plate, she leaned under the counter to hand him a beer before wiping her hands on her jeans and disappearing into the kitchen.

Dean watched her go, contemplating that look she'd had, wondering what scarring memory she hid behind those pretty eyes. Shaking the distractions from his head and forcing himself to let it go, he indulged himself in that burger.

"Hey, waitress?" Dean said with a sweet smile as Talia passed by him.

With an equally fake but even sweeter smile Talia stopped, leaning across the counter to face him. "What can I get you sir?"

"Have you got any pie?" Dean said with a hopeful raise of his eyebrows.

"So you're a pie boy? Yeah, we've got some. Uh…" Talia leaned back, looking at the ceiling as she tried to remember. "I think it's apple, banana cream, and some kind of weird raspberry paste thing."

Dean grinned at the disgusted face she made, then considered. "I'm gonna have to go with apple. Biggest piece you got." As Talia nodded and turned, he added, "And whipped cream!" She raised her hand over her shoulder as she walked away, flashing him a thumbs up.

He could just see her through the window into the kitchen, and for some reason his eyes lingered on her. Not the way he usually...eh, admired women though. Dean couldn't stop staring at those unnerving gold eyes. There was something almost familiar in them, but he couldn't figure out what.

Talia returned with what was definitely the biggest piece of pie they had. It took up nearly an entire plate, bigger even than his two pound burger. Dean couldn't help but grin when she slid it across the bar to him then dramatically emptied the rest of a whipped cream can on top of it, stabbing a fork through the whole thing when she finished. "Our finest pie." Her smile set him a little off guard.

"Why thank you." Dean said, not taking his eyes off that pie.

When Dean finished, he left another fifty bucks on the counter beside his empty plate, scrawling the words "nine o'clock" onto the bottom of one of the bills.

Talia was fascinated by that man. She watched him deface public currency in a sorry attempt at flirting with her and couldn't help but smile. She knew he must've been through awful, terrible things just by being in the life, yet he still had the audacity to flirt with her. It was impressive, really. Attractive, she supposed. A good quality. Not that she was attracted to him or anything. Talia had given up on that sort of thing right after her first boyfriend (who'd lasted three days and she hadn't even kissed) turned out to be a skinwalker.

But for some reason, he kept popping into her head as she finished her shift at the diner and returned to her motel to wash up, eat, and change before she had to work the bar.

Dean spent the day lazily, something he hadn't done in months. He'd found out Sam was exploring the local library, which was "surprisingly huge for a town this size," according to his brother. Whatever. If Sam wanted to waste downtime reading books about the things they hunted instead of hunting the things they hunted, that was fine by him. But Dean wasn't about to waste any quality time he could use sleeping or eating. He took Baby to a carwash, cleaned a couple of his favorite guns, and before he knew it, it was nearly nine o'clock.

Dean showed up at the bar just as Talia did, and he stayed in his car a minute to watch her park her awesome motorcycle and swing her hair out of her helmet. He raised his eyebrows appreciatively as she dismounted the bike, the leather biker leggings she wore a pretty flattering look for her.

The same seat he'd sat in the night before was empty, along with most of the rest of the bar. Not too much business tonight, only a couple middle aged men in the corners with laptops. Who brings laptops to a bar?

"Howdy. What can I get ya?" Talia's fake Southern accent met his ears as he dropped into the seat at the bar. Dean raised a questioning eyebrow, but a ghost of a smile played across his face.

Talia rolled her eyes, making air quotes. "You should greet the customers with a southern accent! It is the Lone Star, after all!" She said in a disgustingly cheerful voice, clearly mocking a coworker or boss. Dean chuckled. "Want a beer? Or something a bit stronger, since you're to share your life story with me?" A devilish smile crossed her face.

Dean sighed. "Gimme the strongest thing you've got." Talia grinned, then pulled together a couple shots.

"Now spill."

"Okay first of all: I never do this. You know the rule, no outside connections, everyone you love will die, bla bla bla." Dean said, giving her a pointed look.

"You know what I say? Screw rules. The only reason they exist is to be broken. Or at least, that's how I use them." Talia shrugged, downing a shot. Dean followed suit, slamming the glass down a little too hard.

"Good." He gave her a curt nod. "Anyways, I guess it's the usual. Mom died when I was like four, raised my baby brother practically myself. Crap dad, obviously, he died a few years back. I got over it, I guess. I was in hell for a while after Sam died and there was a crossroads demon-"

"A crossroads demon?!"

"What can I say? I was vulnerable, she was there." Dean said when Talia looked shocked. "Anyways, hell, then there were a couple bad monsters, then Satan himself, the four horsemen, the apocalypse, all that jazz."

"That was you? Wow. You guys are worse than i thought. You've raised some major crap. Do you have any idea how long I was dealing with demons you guys let out of that Hellgate?" Talia said, giving him an accusing look. Dean put his hands up, flashing her an innocent smile.

"Then there were some Leviathan, I went to purgatory, some other crap happened." Dean finished, downing another shot.

"And the Leviathan? Are you guys the source of all of my problems?!" Talia said exasperatedly. "Do you have any idea how many times those things almost killed me? How many times I had to chop their heads off?!"

"That was actually Castiel's fault mostly, but yeah sure." Dean shrugged. "But that's all I guess. My life story."

"That is not the whole thing." Talia said matter of factly.

"Yeah it is, i haven't got much else to tell."

"You haven't told me anything! I wanna know the other things, the things that really matter. Your life isn't about the crap that's happened to you, you're not your problems. It's how you react to them, how much you let the crap affect you. That's what I want to hear." Talia said, her face becoming serious, those golden eyes boring into his skull. "What makes you laugh, even though you've apparently been dead so many times? What's your favorite kind of pie? What do you do to forget those monsters? How do you remember your parents? What's your favorite way to kill stuff?" Talia never moved her eyes from his. "That's what I want to hear." She repeated.

Dean was speechless. He'd never really thought of that, if he was being honest with himself. You're not your problems...that was a new one. Maybe this girl would be something in his crap life that wasn't crap-nah. He cut off the thought.

"Okay, uh-" He ran his hand over his mouth, giving her a smile that was almost nervous. Over the next three hours, he answered all her questions and a lot more, then asked her almost just as many.

When he left that bar, he had a strange feeling. It was almost like a sort of...peace. Maybe the things he'd killed and the sins he'd committed weren't the only things that mattered. He had the strangest idea that maybe his life wasn't as bad as he thought it was. That was one strange girl.

That night, he mentioned it to Sam.

"Hey Sammy, you ever thought maybe our lives aren't so bad? I mean, we've got Baby, we've got each other." Dean said into the darkness. He didn't know if Sam was awake or not.

"What? Our lives are crap, Dean."

"Yeah. I guess so." Dean said, rolling over.

The next day, Sam insisted that they move on and find another job. "People are dying Dean." He'd insisted.

"Just one more day. We can leave tomorrow." Dean had protested. Sam had finally relented, and Dean had gone straight to the diner. Only for another piece of pie, he convinced himself.

When he got to the diner, another waitress who's name he forgot served him. He was about to leave when a man with a manager tag passed by, and Dean flagged him down.

"Excuse me sir, does the waitress T- em, Lia have a shift here today?" He asked, trying not to sound concerned or desperate.

"Oh she just quit yesterday. Said she was leaving town. Don't know why. A real shame, that one was a good worker." The man said, before giving Dean a polite nod and stepping on his way. Dean was a little panicked all the sudden, but didn't know exactly why. He sped Baby back to the motel and told Sam to get his crap and get in the car. Sam listened pretty fast and didn't ask questions until they were on the road.

"Find the nearest job. ASAP." Dean said bluntly after Sam asked what they were doing for the tenth time. Sam didn't stop asking, but he did as his older brother asked.

"Uh, this looks like one. Wolf Point, Montana. Seems like it might be a werewolf, maybe a wendigo or something." Sam said, still confused.

Dean's jaw was firmly set and his knuckles white on the wheel as he sped up on the interstate.

They reached Montana in much less time than it should've taken. Sam was honestly surprised they hadn't gotten pulled over.

Dean sped around the small town, clearly looking for something but not explaining the situation to his exasperated brother.

Dean meanwhile was a little panicked. He still didn't fully comprehend why. He barely knew the girl, there was a one in a million chance that she would actually be in this town, but for some reason he just had to look. He had to be absolutely positive she was gone for good before he gave up.

He almost did give up, until he saw her motorcycle parked in front of what appeared to be a book store. Dean abruptly stopped the car, getting out quickly and locking an unhappy Sam in.

Throwing the door to the little shop open a little more aggressively than necessary, Dean scanned the place in a second, skimming over the shocked browsers and slightly offended cashier and locking onto the girl in the back of the shop, whose bright gold eyes widened in shock. She crossed the shop quickly, putting down a stack of books and pushing Dean out of the door.

"What are you doing here?" Talia asked, her eyes still wide as she studied him.

"Looking for you."

"How did you even find me?!" She asked, backing up a step.

"Just found the nearest job. Figured you'd be there."

"Why'd you come?" She raked a hand through her curls, pushing hair back from her face.

"Because- I have no idea, alright? I just...I don't know i felt like maybe there was something there! I've never been so open with anyone, ever. I mean, you just saw into my eyes like open doors and found your way to my broken spirit like no one ever has and it was just too weird for me to just walk away. I had to at least know if you were gone for good." Dean ran his hand over his face. "Now that i know what I'm without….You can't just leave me."

Talia was silent.

"It's fine. Do whatever you want. It was stupid of me to come. I'm sorry." Dean started to walk away, but a soft voice stopped him.

"Dean, wait." He froze, but didn't turn around.

"I know what you mean. I just- I don't know, i couldn't help but open up to you and it...scared me i guess. I mean, with the life and all, everyone I've ever connected with ends up dead. You understand that. I started thinking maybe this one wouldn't end that way, but no. That's what I always think, and someone ends up dying and my heart ends up breaking and it can only be duct taped together so many times." Talia ran a hand through her hair again, then dragged her palm over her eyes. "But it gave me this feeling like...Like it was something. I don't know, like my life is kind of just nothing, like I've become just this nothing, a machine just killing stuff and moving on." Dean turned around, and she paused, her eyes lingering on his face. "It was like I was waking up or something. And it scared me."

Dean stepped towards her and opened his mouth to say something.

"Oh my- why don't we just bring her?! If she's a hunter like she said then just bring her with us!" Sam's voice broke through the fragileness of the conversation. Dean looked at his brother, about to get angry, but then saw the promise in the idea. He turned to Talia with a questioning look, and she looked back and forth between the brothers before shrugging.

"I guess I could use some help so I don't die quite so soon." She said.

And so Talia Marina Nolan joined the Winchesters, and a second hand Harley Davidson with a crap engine began to follow that Impala.


	3. Chapter Three: Demons

Chapter Three: Demons (both literally and figuratively)

(Demons- Imagine Dragons)

"So, we're just gonna let her join us?" Sam asked.

"It was your idea dude." Dean replied, glancing at his brother out of the corner of his eye.

"Are you sure we can trust her? I mean you've known her for like two days man." Sam's eyebrows wrinkled in concern as he studied his brother.

"I don't know, I've just got this feeling…"

"A feeling? That's what you're going off?" Sam questioned. He didn't want to scare his brother away from trusting the girl, but he frankly didn't understand why Dean wasn't his normal suspicious self.

"Whatever, man. If she betrays us or whatever you think she'll do, I'm sure we can handle it.

"Yeah. I guess."

The Impala sped down a lonely desert road somewhere in New Mexico, where they'd just finished off a nest of vamps. Talia had performed well and Sam had to admit he was impressed, but there hadn't been much sharing of words. He hadn't yet decided if he could trust the girl.

"She still behind us?" Dean asked, lurching Sam out of his own head.

"What? Oh right." Sam glanced in the rearview and could just make out the shape of the motorcycle in the dim light of the nearly set sun. "Yep. Do you wanna stop for the night, or just keep going til we reach Wyoming?" Sam asked, referencing the location of their next job, what seemed to be a couple of demons.

"We should stop at the next place that might have a motel." Dean said with a not so subtle glance in the rearview mirror at the girl following them. "I'm starving." He added, tearing his eyes from the reflection.

Sam chuckled.

They found a motel half an hour later, and the Impala pulled into the strangely full parking lot. Dean rose from the car, swinging his arms to stretch his shoulders. Sam followed suit, and headed for the reception desk.

"Where'd she go?" Dean said under his breath, looking around.

"I'm gonna go get us a room." Sam said over his shoulder.

Dean gave a half hearted "Okay," still looking down the road for that old loud motorcycle. He ended up leaning against the hood of the Impala for about half an hour, looking down the road every few moments and listening to Sam try to get a word in with the two arguing managers. Normally he'd get over there and show them who they needed to listen to, but he was preoccupied with his searching.

Nearly forty minutes after they'd arrived, a slight girl walked into the parking lot. She was humming under her breath, her bare feet making no sound on the worn asphalt and her boots swinging back and forth in her hands.

Dean crossed the lot to meet Talia, his hands spread in a 'what happened?' gesture.

"Hm?" She looked up, pulling out her earbuds as he approached.

"What took you so long? Where's your bike?" Dean asked, looking around.

"She broke down. Unfixable, I tried. So I had to abandon her in the desert. My only friend." Talia looked at Dean.

"So you walked? Why didn't you call me?" He asked, a little baffled.

"My cell phone died, and I liked the stillness of just walking." Talia's shoulders shook with shivers, and her voice quavered a bit from the cold, but she smiled at him.

Dean raised his eyebrows, and shook his head, then led her in.

Sam looked up with an awkward expression when his brother and Talia came in.

"Only one room left." He said, curious what Dean's response to the situation would be.

Dean glanced at Talia out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sure we can all fit in one room." Sam sighed to himself, then led the way to the room.

When they got into the room (which had two beds), Talia loudly exclaimed, "I'll sleep on the floor!"

"You sure? You can have one of the beds if you'd like." Sam offered, beating Dean to it.

"I'm sure. I prefer sleeping on the floor anyways. I'm not accustomed to beds." she said. "But I will take one of these." Talia pulled the top fluffy blanket off one of the beds, folding it in half and putting it in the corner farthest from the door, right up against the wall and near one of the beds.

Sam glanced at his brother and dropped his jacket onto the bed farthest from where Talia was, leaving the one close to her for Dean.

"I'll go get some grub." Dean said, for some reason feeling awkward. He never felt awkward.

Sam nodded, glancing at Talia from the corner of his eye. A moment later, they heard the Impala start.

"Hi." Talia said after a moment of silence.

"Hey." Sam shuffled a bit, then dropped onto the bed, checking the news in the area of their next job to see if anything else had happened. Nothing had.

"So. Sam Winchester. The boy with the demon blood. The vessel of literal Satan. Survivor of the Cage. And most importantly, brother to Dean Winchester. I've heard a lot about you, Sam." Talia said.

Sam cringed at the mention of all his flaws. But the way she said it, wasn't like an accusation. She almost sounded… admiring. He gave her an intrigued look, and she met his gaze.

"You cut quite the figure, Sam Winchester. I must say, I'm impressed. You've gotten through a lot."

Definitely admiring. Sam noticed she said gotten, not been through. She spoke of his strength, not his struggle. Not many people had done that before. At best he got pity.

"Care to tell me your story?"

"It sounds like you already know most of it." Sam shrugged, sitting up and meeting her eyes.

"No, no. That's just what your brother said. That's not your story. I wanna know you, not your problems." She said, taking a seat on the other bed across from him.

"Um... okay." And so Sam started talking. He told her about his fondest memories, biggest fears, strongest desires, everything he never had time to express.

When Dean showed up halfway through their conversation with food, they didn't stop talking, and so Dean sat there, eating the Mexican food he'd picked up and half focusing on the open laptop in front of him while he really watched his brother's face open up with a glow he hadn't seen in years. He watched Talia's eyes widen as she absorbed his every word, taking in his face, his expressions and gestures, laughing when needed and sobering when he shared sadder parts. And when Sam told stories of his and Dean's good days, the days where the windows of the Impala were down and loud music played and the freedom that came with the job was fresh on their tongues, her smile lit up the room, and Sam seemed to enjoy it just as much as Dean did.

Dean convinced himself he was only happy to watch Sam bond with their new friend, glad that she grew closer to Sam's heart with every word she heard and spoke, but there was something else that kindled in his chest every time Sam's eyes lingered on her smile with an appreciative look. But he hadn't seen his baby brother so happy in so long, and he wouldn't stop that for anything in the world.

When finally Sam had shared everything that lingered on his mind and Talia had shared what she was willing to, they went each to their own sleeping place. Talia curled on top of the blanket she'd taken, nestled right in the corner, becoming a much smaller figure when she closed her eyes and pulled her knees into her chest.

Sam fell asleep quickly, with a glow in his heart he hadn't felt in years and a clearness of mind that was foreign to him. Maybe this girl his brother had brought into their life wasn't so bad after all.

Dean couldn't sleep. He was so exhausted, his body sore and bruised but his mind racing. Unable to drift into comfortable unconsciousness, he rolled onto his side and his eyes locked on the small girl in the corner.

Talia's jaw was clenched, her eyebrows pulled together with stress and her trembling fists clenched near her face. Silent tears reflected the dim light of the moon come through the window, making her face shine. Dean knew the look. Nightmares.

Sitting up and sliding off his bed, he knelt beside her and gently shook her shoulder.

"Hey, hey Lia. Wake up kid."

It took a second, but her eyes flew open and a strangled gasp flew from her lips. Her eyes locked on Dean's through the haze of darkness, hanging onto the gentleness in his gaze.

"You alright?" Dean whispered gently, not withdrawing his hand from her shoulder.

Talia closed her eyes, pulling in a long shaky breath. When she opened them again, her gold eyes almost glowing, her breath was steady and she met Dean's gaze again, giving a slight nod.

"I'm okay." she whispered, giving a weak smile. Dean returned the smile, then ran a hand down her arm as he stood up, turning back to his bed. When he was settled again, Talia was already asleep. His eyes lingered on her still, vulnerable looking form for a few minutes longer before he fell into a restful sleep.

Talia had not in fact fallen asleep. She stayed curled in the fetal position as if she could somehow protect herself. Gratefulness for the brothers near her filled her heart, but a crushing, aching loneliness choked her. Sam was just too much like her baby brother. She remembered every word Sam had said to her that night, and the way he talked, the way his dimples appeared when he smiled was just too close to Levi. She'd tried so hard to fill, or at least ignore the yawning hole in her heart. But talking with Sam...it was just too much. Silent tears ran down her cheeks as she tried to hold up under the suffocating grief and loss and loneliness. She had to hold it up, if only to protect that little fragile hope she now held, that she could somehow have a new baby brother, someone to live in her heart and fill that hole.

Then she'd felt that touch from Dean, to wake her up from that 'nightmare'. And then that loneliness had lifted, if only just a bit as her eyes locked on his, brilliant green against smoldering gold. That little fragile hope grew, a little of that weight lifted from her chest, the hold around her heart weakened a bit.

And she'd dreamed of her past, of those memories with her little brother.

When the morning sun reached through the window to caress the faces of the sleeping hunters, it did not wake them. No, the sun let them sleep, let them each dream of their own happiness: Talia of her brother, Sam of his peaceful days, of his Jess and of his school, and Dean, of being on a long road trip with his baby brother and best friend.

Talia was awoken by the smell of strong coffee and the sound of the motel door slamming as Sam returned. Dean lurched out of his bed, hand flying toward the gun under his pillow, but relaxed at the sight of his brother.

"Rise and shine!" Sam said boisterously as he put the coffees and bag of muffins on the small table the motel room held. Talia pushed herself into a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. A blanket fell off her shoulders as she sat up, and she recognized it as one from Dean's bed.

She padded to the table in her socks, Dean watching from across the room with an amused but almost admiring look. Talia picked the biggest muffin from the bag and took a huge bite, then gulped from the coffee cup that Sam passed her. A second later, she screwed up her face, her nose crinkling as she swallowed her mouthful. Her upper lip curled as she glared at the cup in her hand.

"What _is_ that?!" Talia exclaimed, setting the cup roughly down and backing away.

Sam's eyebrows pulled together, his head tilting as he gave her a funny look. "Coffee?"

"It tastes like gasoline! No wonder you two are so bitter, if this is what you drink! Ick!" She stuck her tongue out, her lip curled as she glanced from Sam to Dean. There was a second of silence, then Sam and Dean glanced at each other and cracked up.

It was freeing, that laughter. It opened up the Winchesters' hearts to this strange girl who had fallen into their lives with her wit still in tact and her humor still strong, and it lifted a bit of the weight from each of their shoulders.

When they were finally back on the road after a morning of much messing around and sharp remarks from Talia, Dean rolled down the windows and turned up the music, and they all sang along.

The mood sobered when they were an hour out from their destination. Sam shared news of another murder, and they all agreed that it seemed like a demon, or a couple of demons. The music was turned off, they slowly returned to "hunter mode" as Talia dubbed it.

The boys told her of their anti-possession tattoos, and she nodded, saying she had one too. Dean jokingly asked where, and Talia gave a sly smile, but that was the extent of their play.

It didn't take long for the trio to pinpoint the case. They interviewed the police officer, Talia flirted with a couple of the younger men who had happened to be involved, (under the smoldering gazes of Sam and Dean). It appeared to be two demons, just wreaking havoc as usual and leaving a trail of corpses. They tracked said demons to an abandoned cabin in the woods outside the small town and armed up before heading out.

"Well that's not creepy at all." Talia muttered as they approached the cabin. It was definitely old, but it was painted a cringe worthy pastel yellow, and the paint was peeling off and bits of wood had been chipped all around the exterior.

Dean gave a small chuckle as they approached, Sam holding the demon knife and Dean with his gun, Talia holding some weird knife with carved runes that Dean could only assume worked on demons. Sam pushed the door open first, and the others followed him in.

Talia coughed a couple times because of the stench. Disembowelled and dismembered bodies and body parts were sprayed all over the house, they discovered as they moved through it. Blood spotted almost every wall, and the smell of rotting flesh hung heavy in the air, mingling with the sound of flies lazily feasting upon the rot.

As they passed a hallway, Dean checked it was clear, but Talia's eyes caught on the pull down ladder in the center of the hallway. Sam and Dean moved toward the back of the house, but Talia wandered down the hall, standing on her tiptoes to pull the ladder down. She could hear the boys' low voices as she cautiously moved up the ladder, knife in hand. Talia pulled herself into the attic, and the ladder retracted with an ominous thud behind her.

Dean moved just ahead of his brother, gun in hand. They were cautious but confident in their movement, just going through the motions they'd been through a million times.

A piercing scream shattered the routine of their exploration, and Dean nearly dropped his gun when he recognized the voice.

"TALIA?!" Sam yelled, sprinting toward the sound of her voice. In the frantic moment of searching it took for them to find the pull down ladder, Dean's heart was beating at a speed he didn't think was possible, and Sam's hands shook with anxiety. Sam almost tore the string out when he yanked the ladder down, starting up it before it even hit the ground. Dean followed, not able to move fast enough.

The Winchester brothers burst into the attic all at once, weapons at the ready and searching for a threat. The attic was empty aside from Talia leaning against the wall a few yards from the brothers. Her knees were pulled against her chest, her hands clenched in her hair as she rocked back and forth. Dean rushed towards her immediately, but her head lifted, her hands warning him away in a quick gesture. Dean froze for a second, confused, and she again clutched her head.

"Stay back!" Talia warned, her eyes screwed shut and her fists clenched tight.

"What?" Sam said, coming up behind his brother and taking a step towards her. She backed up frantically, kicking her knife toward them.

"It-" her voice broke as she winced, stumbling and nearly falling over. "It burned off the tattoo-" this time she did fall over, landing on her knees. Suddenly Talia steadied, looking up abruptly. Demon eyes had replaced the brilliant gold of the girl's eyes as she lurched toward the brothers, but then stopped quickly, her eyes screwing shut and when they opened again they were their natural gold.

"Get it out!" She cried, her voice strangled. Sam began the exorcism, fear choking him as he stumbled over the words. Talia wailed with every word he said.

 _Your eyes are so bright, if only those stupid boys could save that light!_ The demon screamed in her head. Talia winced sharply, the voice of the demon a stabbing pain in her temple. She tried desperately to keep the beast under control, wanting only to shelter the boys from the pain she knew it would inflict if she let it go, but oh it was so hard.

Dean rushed toward her, his gun forgotten on the ground. His fingers locked around her wrists, holding them against his chest as she writhed. The warmth of her skin against his body woke him from the trance he'd been stuck in since seeing those black eyes replacing her beautiful ones. He had a strange urge to press her to his chest, but then she shoved against him with an inhuman strength and met his worried eyes with a demon's black gaze.

The demon shoved Dean into a wall, thrusting a hand toward Sam and sending him flying into a wall. Then Talia's body collapsed again, she crumpled to the ground and screamed in frustration, finally getting the thing under control. Dean rushed towards her, and Sam again began the exorcism.

"Don't get too close!" Talia pleaded as she wrestled with the darkness inside. Dean stayed a few steps back, but then Talia lost control again and he was dangerously in reach. Again waving her hands, the demon sent the Winchesters flying against the walls, groaning as they struggled for consciousness.

 _STOP FIGHTING ME_

 _GIVE IN_

 _THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU_

 _YOU'RE JUST A WEAK LITTLE GIRL MISSING HER BROTHER_

The incessant screaming was agonizing, but Tali wrestled the demon for control. She tried to stop it as it lunged for the demon knife, but the only thing she could do was release the cry of protest that echoed through her mind.

Just as the demon turned toward Sam, who was groggily trying to push himself to his feet, stumbling and slurring the words of the exorcism, Talia reined in the demon, taking control just long enough to stop the knife from slamming into Sam's chest. Instead, she pushed the knife down, barely feeling the burning pain as it pierced her abdomen, sending the demon flickering out.

Talia stayed conscious just long enough to fall into Sam's arms and hear Dean's yell of protest as she almost hit the ground, blacking out as she fell.


	4. Chapter Four: Wrong Side of Heaven

Chapter Four: Wrong Side of Heaven

(Wrong Side of Heaven- Five Finger Death Punch)

Dean rushed across the room, pushing against his brother and scooping Talia's limp body into his arms. She was so small and fragile seeming, even deadweight. As soon as she was steady in Dean's arms, he started moving for the exit, feeling her blood staining his shirt at an alarmingly fast rate.

"Sam!" He cried, as he approached the ladder. Sam rushed over, barely able to tear his eyes from Talia's limp form. Sam tore the trapdoor up, starting down the ladder. He turned back to Dean, arms out to take Talia, but Dean spun, slowly climbing down while trying not to move her around too much.

When they hit the bottom of the ladder, Sam ran for the door and Dean was right on his tail, Talia's blood making his shirt sticky so it clung to his chest. Sam stepped aside and Dean rushed through the door, awkwardly pulling his keys from his pocket and tossing them to Sam. He maneuvered into the back seat of the Impala, keeping Talia against his chest as gently as he could.

"Hospital Sammy!" He said gruffly.

Sam drove way over the speed limit, his knuckles white on the steering wheel and his eyebrows pulled together in anxiety.

Dean kept Talia against his chest, her blood leaking onto the seats of his precious car. His hands shook a bit as he ran them over her hair, then pressed over the wound in an attempt to stop the blood.

They didn't reach the nearest hospital for nearly half an hour, and every second was nerve wracking for both Winchester brothers. Dean's hands didn't stop shaking, and Sam's knuckles never released until they screeched to a stop in the emergency room drop off. Dean through the door open, lurching out and running towards the door.

"Help! Somebody! Right now!" Dean screamed, his voice cracking in desperation.

A couple of nurses came running up, calling for a stretcher. When they got her situated and were wheeling her away, Dean tried desperately to follow, but he was shoved back and doors closed, separating them.

Sam appeared behind his brother, fists clenched and jaw set. Dean slowly turned to face his brother, running his hands through his hair, eyes hazy and clouded with worry.

"She's gonna be okay Sammy. She's gonna be okay." Dean said.

The boys sat in a waiting room for hours, Sam sitting in a chair and leaning forward, face in hands and Dean pacing back and forth with his fists clenched and his brow set with worry.

Four hours after they'd arrived, a nurse entered the waiting room. Dean automatically hated her, hated the crisp cleanliness of her uniform, the look on her face that said she had nothing but bad news to give them. The brothers shared a glance, then turned to the nurse.

"You can see her now."

They followed at the nurses heels, moving much to slowly. The nurse opened the door at an infuriatingly glacial pace, and Dean rushed in as soon as there was space, Sam on his tail.

Talia lay in the bed, tubes and wires surrounding her, the deafening beeping of machines all around. The whiteness of the room was suffocating, the way her dark hair stood out spread against the pillow catching Dean's eye. Her skin was pale, her eyes closed and sunken. Her small, thin fingers rested limply over the sheets, her frame so narrow under the thin covering.

Dean stumbled forward, falling into a chair beside the bed, his eyes never once moving from her face.

Sam tore his eyes from the sight of his friend so weak and vulnerable, turning instead to the doctor in a hope for good news he knew would soon be crushed.

"I'll be straight with you." The man said. He was maybe in his fifties, so frustratingly _doctor_ that Sam could barely take it. "It doesn't look good. She's lost obscene amounts of blood. Five organs were pierced and or ruptured, I had to do a three hour surgery and many more will be required if she's to get through this. I wouldn't get your hopes up."

Sam felt as if the breath was knocked out of him, and his gaze shot back to Talia's wan face. Sam's eyes moved to his brother, who had buried his face in his hands and was leaning forward.

The doctor left with an abrupt nod at Sam, shutting the door behind him. Sam sat in the chair across from Dean, on the other side of Talia's bed.

"Why does this always happen?!" Dean exclaimed suddenly, shooting to his feet and taking a few steps away. "Can't one person just _live_? Just one? Is that really so much to ask? Can't I love one person for more than five friggin seconds without them being killed?" Dean's voice rose. "I thought maybe, since she's a hunter and used to the life that maybe, just maybe this could work, that she could join us and it happened but nothing good can last for more than a week, right?" Dean scoffed. Sam winced at the agony in his brother's voice."What have I done, Sammy? Who have I become?" He closed his eyes, taking a breath. "I'm no hero, I'm not made of stone- I can't handle this crap! I can't let one more person die! I know I'm on the wrong side of heaven but I can fix this!"He ran his hands over his face again. "What am I doing? Is this right or wrong; I can hardly tell. I just want her to live. Why, Sam? What have we done to deserve this? I mean sure, I've done some bad friggin crap, but you deserve to be happy! She-" Dean's voice broke, and his gaze lingered on Talia's face, his hand out in a violent gesture towards her. "She deserves to be happy. To live." He lost his gusto, sinking back into the chair he'd just risen from. "She can't die, Sammy. She can't." Dean roughly ran his hands over his face, catching a tear before it had time to fall.

Sam ran his hands over his hair.

"She won't, Dean. I won't let her."

Sam left the room, leaving Dean sitting in the chair and staring emptily at Talia. He moved with a purpose, eventually ending up back in the waiting room they'd been in earlier. He slammed the door shut behind himself, standing in the middle of the room.

"CASTIEL!"

Dean didn't know how long he sat in that chair. Staring at that girl, that stupid, precious girl. He didn't know how long he sat there wishing for her to move, longing to see those golden eyes meet his again. He didn't know how long he sat there before he started talking to her.

"Talia...You gotta wake up. You gotta wake up and make Sam laugh again, and sing All Star in the car with us and stick your head out the window when we're on the highway. You gotta sit there and ask me all those funny questions, and call me the pie boy, and- and live…" He dropped his head into his hands, sudden exhaustion washing over him.

"Hello Dean."

Dean lurched awake, not even having realized he'd ever fallen asleep. He shot out of his chair, turning to see Castiel.

"Cas! You gotta fix her!" He said, his eyes filling with a hope he didn't dare have before. Castiel's gaze lingered on Dean's face, his head tilting in confusion as he tried to figure out who this girl was, who this girl that Dean Winchester cared so deeply about could possibly be.

And then he crossed the room, the older Winchester right behind him. Castiel reached down and pressed two fingers to the girl's forehead, expecting to feel the rush of power leaving him. Nothing happened. He pulled his hand back, confused.

"Did you do it? Did you fix her?" Dean asked anxiously, looking from Cas to Talia.

"What happened to her? I can't heal it." Cas said bluntly.

"What? What do you mean you can't heal it?! You're a friggin angel!" Dean exclaimed, feeling his hope dwindle.

"What happened to her?" Cas repeated.

"Uh, she was stabbed." Dean said, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion. "What does it matter?"

"What kind of knife?" Cas asked.

Dean pulled Talia's knife from his jacket, passing it to Cas. The angel studied it, running his hands over the runes carved all over it.

"It's Enochian."

"Yeah, so? It's a demon knife." Dean said, glancing from the knife to Castiel.

"It has a sort of binding spell on it. It absorbs some of the demon's power when it kills it, so it will be stronger and can be used against stronger foes."

"And?!"

"The demon clung to the girl's soul. It drained some of the power from her soul, and when the knife slayed the demon, it absorbed not only the power of the demon, but the power the demon had taken in from her soul."

"So you're saying part of her soul is in the knife?" Dean asked, baffled.

"No. Her soul is drained of power. It is intact, but extremely weak. It is not just her physical body that is damaged, but her soul itself. She cannot be healed until her soul regains its power." Cas said, passing the knife back to Dean.

"So use your mojo to fix her soul then!" Dean said, not understanding the problem.

"I am not all powerful, Dean. I cannot fix her soul."

"Well how do we fix it then?!"

"It cannot be fixed."


	5. Chapter Five: Pieces

Chapter Five: Pieces

(Pieces- Ella Henderson)

"W- what do you mean it can't be fixed?" Dean's voice broke over the words. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"It cannot be fixed. There is no way for me to restore or heal her soul. It is impossible." Castiel replied.

"So- so she's dead?" Dean asked, barely able to look at Cas, hardly able to choke the words out. He could barely stand thinking about it, much less uttering it aloud.

"Not necessarily. But I would not retain much hope." Cas again touched a finger to Talia's forehead. "Her soul is severely damaged."

"And there's really no way to fix it? At all?"

"No. But…"

"But what?!" Dean said, shoving down the hope rising in his throat.

"It's too dangerous."

Dean crossed the room in a blur, anger in every line of his body as he slammed Cas into the wall, his forearm across the angel's neck, none too gently.

"Tell. me." Dean growled. Castiel was unfazed. The angel's eyes flashed a menacing glowing blue, and Dean, understanding the threat, backed off, but never took his glare off Castiel's face.

"I could potentially partially drain another soul and transplant the energy into her soul." Castiel begrudgingly explained.

"Then do it!" Dean said, backing up and spreading his arms.

"I told you, it is too dangerous. It would be extremely difficult to not kill the donor and extremely painful for the donor, and i am not positive it would be effective." Castiel said, making no move toward action.

"Do it."

"Dean, are you certain?"

"Absolutely friggin positive." Dean said, holding the angel's gaze.

Castiel approached slowly, giving Dean every chance to back out, but he made no move.

"On three?" Dean said. "One, two-AAAGH!"

Castiel reached for the soul of the Righteous Man. Dean dropped to his knees, unable to hold back his yell of pain. Just as Castiel pulled back, a glowing blue light upon his palm, Sam burst into the room. He rushed for his brother, who had collapsed, panting, glaring at Cas.

"Dean! What the he-"

"Sammy it's okay." Dean said, his fingers curling into Sam's sleeve as he looked over his brother's shoulder.

Castiel leaned over the limp body on the hospital bed, and when he reached for her soul, Talia's back arched, a whimper coming from her unconscious form. Castiel took a step back and Dean staggered to his feet, Sam supporting him.

"Did it work?" Dean stumbled toward the bedside, eyes locked on the girl's face.

Cas stepped back, allowing Dean to take his place. Dean's fingers brushed over Talia's open palm, running over her arm as he leaned against the bed, wincing.

"Did it work?!" He repeated, turning to look at Castiel, his face riddled with anxiety.

"Dean?"

That one feeble, weak word nearly sent Dean to his knees as he spun.

"You're alive, oh God, you're alive." Dean said, his voice breaking as his eyes locked on those dull gold irises looking up at him. Talia sat up slowly and Dean pulled her against him, squeezing his eyes shut as he pressed his mouth to her forehead.

"How- how am I alive? I felt that thing tearing at my soul...I was sure I was dead."

"It's a miracle I guess." Dean shrugged, talking over whatever Castiel was trying to say. Talia moved to the edge of her bed, swinging her legs onto the ground.

"Careful-" Dean started, attempting to stop her.

"I'm fine, Dean." Talia shoved his arms away. She pushed to her feet, wincing in pain and swaying, nearly tumbling to the ground. Dean wrapped his arms around her waist, wanting to hold her fragile body against his chest, but helping her steady on her own feet.

"Talia?" Sam's voice was hesitant and when gold eyes met hazel, the girl stumbled toward him. She practically disappeared in his embrace, burying her face in his chest.

"Are you- are you Castiel?" Talia asked, turning unsteadily.

"Uh, yes. I am Castiel."

"Cool! So you can like, smite people and stuff? Melt eyeballs out?"

"Uh…"

"Have you got an angel blade?!" Talia looked like an excited puppy, and the angel was utterly confused. Dean chuckled.

"Uh yes, I am an angel, of course I have an angel blade." Castiel looked a bit bewildered.

"I'm sorry, I've never met an angel before and I've heard a lot about you. Castiel." Talia shook her head as if in awe. Dean smirked a bit at the angel's confusion at the girl's excitement.

"Alright let's get out of here." Talia said, moving towards the door.

"Hang on a second. You just died, Lia. I mean, you were basically dead. You can't just pop up and keep going." Dean said, stepping in front of the door.

"I'm fine Dean."

"Talia…"

"Dean I can't stay here for one more minute alright? Just get me out." Her voice lowered at the end, wanting to communicate with only Dean.

Dean couldn't resist when her voice sounded so fragile, and so he slid his arm around her waist and helped her get to her feet.

"Let me help." Castiel reached over and took Talia's hands in his, and with a whoosh of wings, both angel and girl disappeared.

Dean stomped his foot indignantly. "Da-"

"Calm down Dean, he probably just took her to the car." Sam intercepted.

"-it Cas."

Talia was suddenly in the backseat of the Impala with the angel beside her.

"Why'd you do that?" she asked, looking out the window to see where the boys were.

"I need to speak to you." The angel said grimly.

Talia looked a little suspicious, leaning a bit towards the door of the car. "About what?"

"About what really happened in there."

Her eyebrows creased a bit, and she shifted back to the middle of her seat, now curious. "Tell me."

"Your soul was severely damaged. Those demons had too firm of a grasp on it when they were dispelled from your vessel. You would've been in a coma like state for a week at most before death." The angel said grimly.

"So...how am I alive? You healed me with your angel juice, right?" she said, a bit nervous.

"Legend tells of this happening, and in few cases soul energy can be transplanted in a way, taking some of the energy from a soul and using it to heal another. Most cases fail, but the soul in this case is extremely powerful. Usually these people are bonded. That is where the term 'soulmate' came from." Castiel explained.

"Who did you take soul energy from?" Now she was suspicious.

"Dean."

She was silent for a moment as she processed what she had been told. "How could you let him do that?! He could have been killed! Do you realize what the consequences could've been? Dean could've died! Why on earth would you risk that just to save me, are you insane?!" Talia suddenly shouted. The angel remained stoic, but a range of emotions ran across the girl's face.

"He insisted. He slammed me into a wall and ordered me to do it." Castiel said. "I of course did not have to listen, but if he cared so much, it was his choice to make."

"Still! He's too self destructive for you to let things like this happen!" She shouted just as the driver side door opened.

"What the he-"

"Goodbye Dean." There was a whoosh of feathers and the angel was gone.

"You alright?" Dean asked, looking back at the girl.

"Why would you do that Dean?! You could've died!" Talia burst out, pushing herself out of the car so she could get in Dean's face. She doubled over in pain for a moment, and Dean reached instinctively for her, but she straightened up quickly and continued to yell at him.

"Do you have any idea how stupid that was?! What possessed you to do something so frigggin reckless, you idiot?" Talia let out a short breath, her fists clenched and shoulders tight.

"You would have died for sure, and I wasn't going to let that happen. Your life is worth a hundred of mine." Dean said quietly.

"You'd really risk dying and leaving Sam behind alone just on the off chance you might save me? You'd go to hell, Dean!" She winced a bit again.

"Yes. Without second thought. I knew what I was doing, Lia. It was my choice." Dean said quietly.

The fight went out of her, and her fists unclenched, her face softening. "Oh." The word was barely more than a breath. "I'm sorry."

A flash of emotion went across Dean's face, and he suddenly leaned forward, running his hands over her hair and pulling her tightly against him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm just glad you're okay." His breath rustled her hair, and she tightened her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.

Sam caught up, a little bit out of breath, and Dean regretfully let her go. She climbed into the back of the car, Dean's hand lingering on her waist before he closed the door after her.

Dean drove to the bunker, just a little over the speed limit the whole time. He parked the Impala in it's usual spot, and got out quickly so he could help Talia. She threw the door open herself, but her legs gave out. Luckily Dean was there in time to catch her, scooping her up bridal style despite her weak protests. Dean followed Sam into the bunker, and he took her straight to his bedroom, because no spare rooms were set up.

Dean laid her on the bed, and she tried to push herself into a sitting position. Her energy had suddenly disappeared, and she felt like she was about to pass out.

Talia hated that feeling of helplessness, able to do nothing but sit there. She was struggling desperately to hang onto consciousness, but it was a losing battle.

"Hey, wake up sweetheart."

She woke to Dean's soft voice. It was a struggle to push her eyes open. Dean smiled a bit, then sat beside her as she pushed herself upright.

"How are you feeling?" He said gently.

"I'm okay I think. How long did I sleep?"

"Fifteen hours. I figured I should wake you up so you can have some food and water." Dean said, holding out a water bottle and a sandwich.

Talia smiled her thanks, taking the bottle and draining it. She wolfed down the sandwich in similar manner.

After a moment, she studied Dean's face in the silence of the room.

"So. Cas told me we're soul bonded now." Talia said. After that the silence was heavy. "I don't really know what that means, but…" she trailed off.

"As long as you're alive." Dean said.

"But now… I'm messed up inside. Part of my soul is missing and now I'm just… I'm just pieces. And pieces, they-they fall apart. I mean, I was already all messed up before, but now there's like a real reason, like an actual thing wrong with me instead of just mental stuff. Plus now with whatever that soul bonding stuff Cas was talking about, what if it does something bad to you? He ripped part of your friggin soul out, Dean. If anything happens to you because of that, I don't think I could live with myself." Her voice faded out.

"I don't care what happens, I'm glad you're alive right now this second. Like I said. Your life is worth it." Dean said. "We'll just have to play it by ear and see what happens. And don't for a second think what I did was anything but my caring for you. Anything that happens because of it is not your fault because it was my own choice."

Talia nodded, not meeting his eyes. Dean leaned over, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before leaving the room.

As he walked down the hall, he immediately wanted to turn around and hold her near him until he was sure she was alright, wanted to yank Castiel by his feathers back here to make her better, but he walked away. He knew he couldn't make this right, and what Talia had said still echoed in his head.

Pieces fall apart.


	6. Chapter Six: Runaways

Runaways

(Runaways- All Time Low)

"I want to go to the beach." Talia proclaimed as she sat at the table, drinking a smoothie while Sam searched for a new job and Dean watched some lame show across the room.

"What?" Sam looked up from his laptop.

"I said, I want to go to the beach. I haven't been in a while. I miss it." Talia replied, setting down her book and sucking on her straw. Dean crossed the room, leaning against the table.

"That actually sounds great. I think all of us could use the break, too." Dean said. It'd been two weeks since the incident in the hospital, and they'd taken care of four jobs since then.

"We can't just-" Sam began.

"Why not? We're all adults, we've got a working car. And like I said, we could all use a vacation. Why don't we just run away?" Dean said, finishing off his beer.

"Alright. Okay, fine. Let's do it." Sam shrugged.

"Yes!"

Not even three hours later, the backseat of the Impala was packed with a couple of backpacks full of new swimsuits, a sand bucket (thanks to Talia), a ton of snacks, and one excited girl. The brothers were soon in their seats too, and then they were off, headed for a small beach in Virginia that Talia recommended.

"Sam! Would you rather eat an entire turtle raw or kiss Justin Bieber?!" Talia shouted over the dancing wind coming from the windows as they sped down a nearly empty highway. Dean, at the wheel, let out a barking laugh at Talia's question, then again at the uncomfortable face his brother made.

"I'd rather eat a hundred turtles!" Sam said, making a disgusted face and shuddering at the mere thought.

Talia's clear laugh was audible even over the excited wind, and the Winchester brother's couldn't keep smiles off their faces.

"Your turn! Ask Dean or me a question!" Talia exclaimed. A mischievous look spread over Sam's face as he turned to Dean.

"Would you rather never have a beer again or never see another girl in your life?" Sam asked, a smug smirk on his lips.

Dean's eyes went impossibly wide and he nearly swerved the car. "I can't answer that Sammy!" Sam cackled. "That's the hardest question I've ever been asked!" He practically shrieked.

"You gotta answer, Dean!" Talia said, grinning at Dean's reaction.

"Okay, okay I gotta say never have a beer again, because if I choose the other option I'd never be able to see Lia again." Dean finally said after Talia and Sam stopped laughing.

"Aw! I knew you didn't hate me!" Talia said teasingly.

"Aw shut up." Dean replied, but he was grinning. "Alright, it's my turn now?"

Talia nodded excitedly.

"Okay I gotta come up with a good one, hang on." He pulled a comically thoughtful face. "I can ask either of you, right?"

"Yep." Sam said, laughing as Talia leaned forward over the back of the seat to stick her head between the two brothers.

"Talia!" Dean suddenly shouted. She shrunk back a bit in fear of the coming question. "Would you rather! Never ever have pizza again ever in your entire life…."

Talia gasped in horror, backing away from Dean.

"Or! Never ever be able to hug Sam ever again ever in your entire life?!" Dean finished, speaking of Talia's intense love of hugs from his enormous puppy brother. At 5'4", she disappeared in his embrace and it always made her feel better.

"Dean! How could you even ask something like that?!" Sam exclaimed with a horrified expression barely masking his laughing grin. Talia stifled a giggle, then matched Sam's expression.

"So what's your decision, Lia?" Dean said with an amused smirk.

"I can't answer that! I refuse!" Talia exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"You gotta! It's the rules!" Dean argued.

"He's right Lia…" Sam said, curious about what she would say.

"Okay fine! But you know how I love bacon and tomato!" Talia said, torn between the two options. "Alright I'm gonna have to go with no more pizza."

"Seriously?!" Dean exclaimed, looking back at her, surprised.

"Aw, Lia!" Sam cried, putting his hand on his heart and grinning back at her. Lia leaned over the seat and planted a kiss on Sam's cheek.

Dean caught this little move and had to chase out the bitter feeling in his chest, instead grinning at the expression on his little brother's face as he stared at the girl.

"Oh my gosh Dean turn up the radio I love this song!" Talia suddenly exclaimed, lurching backwards with a huge smile on her face.

Dean chuckled and turned up the music, watching Talia sing and dance in the mirror.

And so the Winchester brother's and their newest family member went down that road with their tears and misery in the rearview mirror.

 _So let's run away, they will have to find another heart to break_

 _Why don't we just run away, never turn around no matter what they say._

"Stop here! No, no Dean you missed it go back! That-yeah right here!" Talia frantically gestured out the window, pointing with one hand and smacking Dean's shoulder to get his attention with the other. Sam chuckled at her enthusiasm as Dean tried to please her, pulling the Impala to a stop near a tree, right on the edge of the sand. Before the car was even in park, Talia had bolted from her seat, slamming the door behind her. She kicked off her shorts and pulled off her t-shirt to reveal her sleek black swimsuit, tossing her clothes through the open window and sprinting for the water.

The brothers followed at a much more leisurely pace, collecting towels and an umbrella and their cooler of beer before following, but her enthusiasm was infectious and they were more excited then they'd thought they'd be.

Sam set up a place to sit and finally read a book just for fun, but Dean wanted to join Talia in the water.

She stood aways out, so the water was up to her chest and the waves were still just swells of water. The sun shone down on her, making her skin glow and the wind danced through her damp hair, blowing across her face. She just stood there, looking out over the endless ocean. It seemed she was connected to the untold power of the ocean, like the water welcomed her in as part of itself. A strong swell of a wave came toward her and she met it, ducking under and letting the water wash over her, holding her in it's embrace before she broke through the surface again, throwing her back off her face and sending sparkling diamonds of water dancing through the air, reflecting sunlight and making her look like some sort of heavenly creature.

Dean didn't know how long he stood there watching her, but he eventually peeled off his t-shirt and waded through the shallows, welcoming the biting cold of the October water. The waves caressed his sore body, pulling him farther in. The power of the entire ocean swirled around him, but it didn't feel to him like a home, as it seemed to for Talia. It seemed a cold and distant power that let him be there, experiencing his power but would not be afraid to wash him miles out to sea and let his body rot slowly in its bottomless water.

But then Talia turned around, her smiling face nearly outshining the sun that poured from behind her, making her wet skin glow. She waded forward to meet him and her smile morphed into something playfully evil before she ducked under the water. Dean knew what was coming, but it came faster than expected.

Talia dive bombed his legs, tackling them out from under him. He went down, flailing and squirming and sending a hurricane of bubbles out around them. The girl popped up first, flinging her wet hair around and creating more dancing droplets. Then came Dean, coming up and sputtering, shaking his head like a dog and wiping the water from his face with his hands. They ended up just inches apart, Talia laughing at him and Dean begrudgingly smiling through his fake irritation.

Then the laughter died, and they stood their a second, only the noise of the waves a ways out and the water lapping against their bodies. Their eye contact never broke and Dean got lost in the way the sunlight made her eyes look like the most pure molten gold. For a split second, his eyes dropped to her mouth, but then she lunged forward, flinging a handful of water into his face with an evil cackle, then frantically started wading away, the waist high water greatly inhibiting her movement.

"Oh no you didn't!" Dean growled, his eyes narrowing as he gave chase, much faster through the water. He caught up to her quickly, and Talia shrieked as he wrapped an arm around her waist, throwing her small body over his shoulder as she pounded at his muscular back. Her laughter rang clear across the empty beach and it brought a laugh bubbling through Dean's throat as he bounced around making water splash into Talia's face. In response to the jostling, Talia swung her legs, setting Dean off balance and they both dropped into the water just in time for a wave to break over their heads.

Sam watched his brother and best friend frolic through the water, their laughter reaching him across the waves and the smile refused to leave his face. A strange feeling came filled his chest that he couldn't remember feeling for a long, long time. The place Talia held in his heart grew even larger as he listened to his brother laughing, a real laugh, for the first time in years. And because god was a douche, he thanked some other force for that girl.

After hours in the water, Talia and Dean came up through the sand to the spot where Sam sat.

"Sam you've gotta come in the water!" Talia said as she approached him. Dean came up behind her, his arms suspiciously tucked behind his back. Sam sat up, closing his book as he looked warily between his brother, who looked around innocently, and Talia, who was making puppy eyes at him.

"I think I'm okay…" He said, keeping his eyes on Dean.

"Pleeeease Sammy?" Talia asked, her puppy face intensifying as she looked through her lashes at him.

"But the water's gonna be cold cause it's October." Sam whined. Then Talia glanced over her shoulder at Dean, who came galloping forward, whipping a bucket of sloshing salt water from behind his back before dumping it right on top of his unsuspecting brother's head.

"You did not!" Sam shouted, scrambling to his feet and taking off after the two, who were already bolting back into the water.

Talia's feet had just hit the surf when Sam's arms wrapped around her from behind, lifting her off her feet. A giggling shriek came from her mouth as she flailed her legs, her feet ten inches off the ground as Sam lifted her up.

"Dean!" she shouted through laughter, calling for her partner in crime. Dean turned around, seeing her predicament, but an idea far from rescuing her came into his head as he headed for her. He communicated his plan to Sam as he walked, and Sam smirked as he situated Talia so her arms were pinned down.

Then Dean was upon her, tickling up and down her sides and she was shrieking and laughing and kicking at him and splashing water in every direction and Sam was cracking up as Dean cackled maliciously.

Eventually Talia got free and unleashed a hurricane of splashes, diving under the water and knocking their legs out from under them.

As the sun set, they slowly dragged themselves from the water, Talia wringing out her hair and the brothers still splashing each other. They all felt as if they were in another world, apart from the tragedy of their lives and the torturous danger they constantly labored under and all the horrible weights they always held on their shoulders.

Sitting there on the cooling sand, watching the sun drown and the water catch flame, something broken in each of them began to scar over, healing one edge of their marred spirits and growing the strength in each of their hearts.

Sam left to get food for the three of them, leaving Talia and Dean sitting close beside each other on the beach in the twilight stillness.

They sat there in precious silence, listening to the sound of the sleepy waves and watching the stars cautiously emerge from their homes.

"Thank you." Talia said suddenly, her voice low and gentle, so that she would not break the enchanting silence.

"For what?" Dean tilted his head to look at her, his voice just as careful as hers.

She was silent for a second, the dim effort of a few stars painting her in rich bluish grays as she studied the waves. Her lips parted and Dean could practically see her considering what to say.

"For giving me a family." she finally said, her words even quieter than before.

The smallest of smiles graced Dean's mouth as his eyes roamed over her face. He said nothing, but brushed his fingers along her hand and gave her a nod. She was definitely family.

They could hear the Impala returning and Sam approaching with bags of food, and Talia turned around to watch him, but for some reason Dean couldn't tear his gaze away, enthralled in the way the starlight caressed her face, highlighting her cheekbones and sending diamonds through her golden eyes and spotlighting her full lips. It was as if he were under a spell, like her enchanting beauty had caught him in a net.

Then Sam dropped to his knees between them and the spell was broken.

And so followed a beach picnic in the dark full of laughing and stealing of food.

"Sammy did you get pie?!" Dean exclaimed suddenly, spraying chip crumbs everywhere.

Talia looked over Sam's shoulder, a forkful of pie halfway in her mouth and an entire pie in her hand. Giving a cheeky smile, she crossed to Dean and handed him a fork. The pie was gone in seconds, and Sam shook his head in exasperation as they bickered over the last bite.

After all the food was gone, Talia lay between the two brothers, the three of them stretched out on their backs, arms folded beneath their heads. Talia showed the boys the constellations she knew, and Sam showed her even more.

"See those right there? That's Ursa Minor." Sam said, pointing upwards and connecting the dots.

"Wait, where?" Talia scooted closer to him, putting her head right beside his and following his gesture. "Ooh I see it!" she said excitedly, making Sam chuckle.

That bubbly feeling returned to Dean's chest as Sam turned his head to watch Talia as she stared at the stars.

"Well I'm beat." Sam said a few minutes later, pushing himself to his feet. "I'm gonna pass out in the backseat, you guys can come whenever you're ready to go and we can drive home or find a motel, whatever." Talia nodded and Sam leaned over to collect the leftover food and his bag.

As he walked away, Sam met his brother's gaze, his eyes flicking to Talia then back to Dean, and he gave the slightest of nods and an encouraging smile, and the bubbles faded away.

Talia shifted so her head rested on Dean's stomach, rising and falling with his breathing. She studied the stars in silence, and Dean studied her in silence.

He felt something for her. He'd admit that much. Something...strong. Afraid to call it love, he avoided really thinking about it. But it'd been months since he met her, and it'd been there all along. But now, as he sat under the infinite universe with her at his side, it seemed realer than ever.

Dean Winchester was afraid. He was afraid that as soon as he acknowledged that feeling, gave it the name it deserved, called it _love,_ then it would be lost. Just like every other time. Plus, this relationship was too precious to be ruined by his moving too quickly. And so he sat there under the starlight, his bleeding and scarred heart beating with something a little stronger than it usually did, and he memorized that girl's face.

When a shiver rippled through Talia's slight body, she felt Dean's concern, and didn't argue when he moved to stand up and lead her back to the car. As they walked back, she hovered close to his shoulder, the backs of their hands brushing. She was sorely tempted to weave her fingers between his, but didn't let herself. She cared too much about him to lose him to unrequited feelings.

After a sweatshirt was retrieved from the trunk, the two leaned against the hood of the car, eyes still locked on the diamonds winking down on them from above. Talia leaned back until she was lying on the hood, her legs dangling off the edge. Dean followed suit and minutes passed in a precious, loaded silence.

Her leg brushed his, and he looked back at her, and their eyes locked. Neither would look away, and smoldering eyes burned a hole in Dean's mind. He'd never forget that look. The moonlight hugged the shape of her, embraced her as if she too was just a dancing stream of diamond light come from the heavens, bright as anything one second and disappearing into the dark the next. She was a beautiful statue of a Roman goddess painted the flawless marble white by the light of that night. This was the memory of her that he would never lose, he could recognize that. He knew that this was the image that would appear behind his eyes when he fell asleep that night and every night after. This was what he would imagine when he was again in a dark place, where he could find no reason to live in this dark world and it was purely his duty to Sam that kept him alive. This was the image of her that would be eternally imprinted in his mind, long after she was gone. As he studied her in that fragile light, he suddenly really, _really,_ wanted to kiss her. Then she sat up, at the moment slipped away, but it would never be erased from his mind.

"We should probably go. Poor Sam probably isn't very comfortable in the back seat." She said, now avoiding his gaze. Pulling the sweater tighter around her body, Talia slid off the car.

Dean did the same, and as he moved to open his door he said, "You get shotgun."

A smile spread across the girl's face as she slid into the seat that few had the honor of belonging in.

He'd never felt this way. He'd been so bitter and closed off and refused to feel things. So bitter, til she came along. The tide was low and she'd set his sails and now they were off in the ocean like they'd been that day.

She'd always been terrified, ever since that day where she was made alone in the world. Looking over her shoulder, checking for monsters under the bed. Afraid to let her guard down. But with him, she had nothing to fear and the dark was safe with him at her side.

 _They won't catch us in the dark...Roll like thunder, burn like stars._


	7. Chapter Seven: Far From Home

**(AN: Please review! Constructive criticism or requests of what you think should happen are welcome)**

Far From Home

(Far From Home- Five Finger Death Punch)

Sam stayed asleep in the backseat for hours as they drove in a comfortable silence back to the bunker. After the second hour, Talia leaned over, resting her head on Dean's shoulder and pulling her legs up onto the seat. The movement sent a thrill of warmth through Dean, and he shifted a bit to keep her comfortable.

Hours later as the sun slowly stretched it's gaze over the still cold earth, it seemed to reach straight into Dean's heart, and there in the early daybreak chill, he made up his mind.

The Impala lurched over a bump in the road on the final stretch of it's journey, sending Sam sliding off the backseat and Talia's foot thudded into the console, waking her up. Sam sat up slowly, rubbing his bleary eyes and pushing his hair out of his face. Talia simply groaned and slid down, stretching her legs out and not even bothering to open her eyes. Dean chuckled a bit as she curled into a tight ball.

Sam reached over the seat and poked her side and she squirmed a bit, groaning in protest but not uncurling. Sam poked again, and his brother joined in until Talia finally uncurled and sat up.

Her dark curls hung over her face, tangled around each other and covering her half open eyes. She rubbed one hand over her eye like a child, which for some reason Dean found irresistibly cute.

One by one, they dragged themselves from the car, lugging bags behind them and slowly entering the bunker.

Sam headed in first, and Dean and Talia lingered behind. When Dean helped her out of the car, she shut the door behind her and suddenly found herself inches from Dean.

His green eyes dropped to her mouth, then back to her eyes, his eyebrow raising the slightest bit as if in askance. Then Talia leaned forward, pushing herself onto her tiptoes before she pressed a chaste kiss to Dean's lips. It was short and sweet, but Dean wasn't satisfied. He followed her as she dropped back to flat feet, and his kiss was just as sweet but a little less short. A breathless smile framed his face as he backed up, his eyes slowly fluttering open.

Talia's stomach churned as she fully registered what'd just happened. Dean pulled the rest of the bags from the trunk, and before they entered the bunker he stole one more kiss.

But the sight that greeted them made them all freeze.

Bags dropped to the floor and eyes widened with sudden attentiveness and weapons came out of waistbands.

The entire bunker was in ruins. Books were shredded, pages lying everywhere. Every table was flipped, Talia's laptop destroyed, beer bottles shattered and broken light bulbs littering the ground. Every warding symbol they'd painted on the walls was struck through with blood. A pile of torn up pictures of the young Winchesters and their parents lay in the middle of the floor. A similar pile lay beside it, pictures neither of the boys recognized.

And on the wall, right over the chaotic destruction, was a message painted in long strokes of blood, still dripping.

HE IS HERE

It was Dean that broke the spell and started moving first. He set off to check the rest of the bunker, his gun in his hand and moving at a brisk pace, his jaw pulsing and his shoulders tight.

Then Talia moved, dropping to her knees in front of the pile of pictures. With trembling hands, she picked through them, spreading them out. But they were unsalvageable, completely destroyed. And so she sat there on her knees, silent tears flooding down her cheeks and the tiny shreds of paper fluttering through her shaking fingers.

When Dean returned, he saw his baby brother staring in silent shock at the mess around him, his eyes fragile as he surveyed what they had thought to be their safe home, and his best friend on her knees, her broken heart practically in her hands and tears staining her cheeks.

And so the three lost yet another home, another safe haven where they could at last be hidden from the world and not have to constantly watch their backs and keep their hands on their guns. Any comfort they'd built up, any lax that had changed their solid walls was gone, and they were again monsters who simply fought worse monsters.

Dean moved to comfort Talia, but before he could reach her she had shoved the shredded paper into her back pocket and angrily wiped the tears from her face. Her small fists were clenched so hard her knuckles were white. A spark of vicious anger settled in her eyes and a dangerous bloodthirst poisoned the golden purity of her gaze as she met Dean's eyes.

He recognized that look. He'd seen it enough times in the mirror to know it for what it was. And he hated it. He hated seeing it on her innocent face, hated seeing it taint the happiness in her eyes. He hated himself for letting this happen, for forcing that look into her eyes. He hated whoever had done this hideous thing to them, when they'd finally found some peace. But then he looked up, and he could feel the same look growing over his face and Sam's.

And then they were machines again.

Talia disappeared into her room and emerged armed to the teeth and practically frothing at the mouth. Dean had been searching the bunker for her when he heard the bunker door slam shut with an angry echo, and his widening eyes met Sam's as they realized what the sound meant and took off for the door.

The car was still there, so she couldn't have gone far. As expected, they found her soon after, in the woods across from the bunker. She stood at the edge of a burned out clearing.

It was a gruesome sight. A dozen bodies littered the clearing, lying atop burned foliage and broken branches, throats and wrists of all but one slit. The unmarred one's neck was wrenched to an awkward angle, the arms were both bent in a way they shouldn't be, every bone seemed to be broken in at least one place. Even the fingers were crooked with breaks. The other bodies each lay in a puddle of their own blood, still open eyes staring emptily at the overcast sky. Black goo leaked from their orifices, staining their cheeks and hair. Signs of demonic possession marred all but the center one.

Talia wandered through the clearing, turning in circles as she studied the gore. When she reached the center, she noticed another odd thing about the corpse in the center. It was a male, probably mid thirties, and his shirt was ripped open in the front. The flesh was ragged and uneven, the broken ribs clearly visible. But burned into the mangled skin was a foreign sigil, branded into the victim's chest an inch deep.

Dean quickly took in the mess, then his eyes locked on the girl stumbling through it. She turned, inspecting each of the bodies before coming to a stop at the one lying spread eagle in the center of the clearing. From the edge of the clearing, he watched her freeze, eyes locked on the mangled body before her before her hands flew to her mouth as she staggered backwards, nearly tripping over another corpse. Her boots squished into the bloody mud as she spun around, bolting back to the bunker at breakneck speed.

Dean immediately took off after her.

Sam stayed behind, taking a picture of the strange sigil on the center victim and taking note of the destruction so he could pin down who was behind this and rip their heart out.

"Lia! Talia hang on!" Dean pleaded as she bolted to her room. She slammed the door shut just as he reached her, and he pounded his fist into the door, then leaned his forehead against his braced arm. He could hear her sobbing and hitting the walls and knocking things over.

"Talia sweetheart, open the door." Dean said gently. The noises from inside faded until all he could hear was her quiet hiccupping sobs. "Please sweetheart, let me in. Footsteps, then the door unlocked.

Dean waited a moment, then pushed the door slowly open. He could see the top of her head on the other side of her bed. He knew the sound of her sobs would haunt him as he crossed the room and carefully sat beside her.

The girl refused to meet his eyes, staring at the wall. She was curled in a ball, knees pulled up against her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs, white knuckles standing out stark on her narrow hands.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" Dean said gently, studying her intently. "Did you know that guy? What were those pictures?" He pushed her hair back from her face in an uncharacteristically tender gesture, sliding his arm over her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

She didn't say a word, just leaned forward a bit, her trembling hands lifting the back of her shirt a bit to reveal something that sent a chill through Dean's chest.

Burned into her lower back, about five inches across, was the same sigil burned into the chest of the dead man.

"What- what is it?"

"The mark of my brother's murderer."

Sam had returned to the bunker with pictures of the sigil and immediately set to work researching it, settling in for a long night of research. Already, a burning grip of lust for vengeance had settled around his heart. Already, he was fighting off the monster always lurking on the edge of his mind, wanting only to be let in and set free, set loose to wreak havoc over everything. God knows how hard of a monster it was to control.

Castiel appeared in the bunker to take in the sight of Sam sitting at the cracked remains of their table, the rest of the bunker still destroyed and chaotic. The angel looked confused, looking around at the destruction before noticing the blood stained warning on the wall.

"Cas, great. I need your help. Do you know what this sigil is?" Sam asked, turning his laptop screen to display the foreign symbol.

"That is exactly what I came to warn you about. But it seems that Bezaliel has gotten to you before I could." Castiel said, looking once more at the ruined bunker.

"Wait...did you just say Bezaliel?" Sam asked, fear widening his eyes.

Castiel nodded grimly. "The Shadow of God." The angel seemed to hide memories in his eyes at the utterance of those words. "The 13th archangel of the Book of Enoch." Cas thought for a moment. "I would say worse than Lucifer himself."

"When I was nineteen I'd been on my own for a year." Talia began, still not looking at Dean. "Hunting for a year. And my brother was in college. He came to visit me one day, we were at a hotel. Middle of the night, wrists slit. It was ruled a suicide, but I knew it wasn't. Same night, same time they claimed as time of death, I was woken up to the worst pain of my life in my lower back. Right here. No one was there. It just sort of...appeared. I never could figure out what it meant, only that it was somehow connected to his death." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Levi. His name was Levi." Still shaking hands slowly pulled the shreds of paper from her back pocket. "These were the only pictures of him I had." Her voice broke and a sob bubbled up in her throat. 'I keep seeing his face, the face I'll never see again, and it's like I just can't find my way home without him. All the places I've been and all the things I've seen since then, it seems like it's all just a million broken memories of him." She gulped. "But I'll never see him again." She was lonely and broken and small, so far from home she could never return. The Winchesters were what she fooled herself into calling her home, but the memories were shadows blocking out the one true home and family she'd had.

Dean's heart broke for her, having experienced the loss of a baby brother himself. At least he got Sam back. He couldn't imagine him being gone forever. So he wrapped his arms around the fragile form of his best friend and she cried into his shoulder, cried for her baby brother and her lost family and her ruined home.

Some time later, Talia and Dean made their way slowly to the main area to find out where Sam was and get to work hunting whatever had done this.

"Cas?" Talia said as she walked in. The angel turned around, and a bit of relief inched into her nervous heart. She crossed to him and gave him a hug that he only took a second to respond to.

"Have you found anything yet?" Dean asked, looking between Sam and Castiel.

"We know who it is. And this isn't the only place he's struck." Sam gestured to a map of the states on the table with over a dozen bright red sharpie circles.

"Well who's the son of a bi-"

"Bezaziel." Castiel interrupted. "The thirteenth archangel."

Talia's fists clenched at her sides.

"The sigil is his calling card. He claims to be arising to take his place as god, as is apparently prophesied. He has some grudge against god since his name is literally the shadow of god. In essence, he is the same being, same status as god, yet he never got the glory that his brother did. He was demoted to archangel. And to be short, he was pissed about that. And now he's decided to take over the world." Sam summarized, dropping into a chair in defeat.

Dean turned around, burying his fingers in his short hair, fury in every line of his body.

The suffocating silence filling the room was abruptly broken by the sharp ring of Talia's phone. She yanked it out of her pocket and set the unknown number on speaker phone.

"Ah...the Winchesters and their pet angel. And their newest addition, Talia, was it?" A gravelly voice growled. It was eerie and staticy, almost lulling in a way. "I have a message for you, since you seem to think that saving the world is your job.

"Your heaven's trying everything to keep me out. But I assuuure you." The word was drawn out, sing song and teasing but threatening. "I will get in. I will be your new god."

The phone popped and sparked.

Then silence. Heavy, suffocating silence as the threat settled into the pounding hearts of each in the room.

And now, they knew.

The hunters had become the hunted.


	8. Chapter Eight: I Don't Wanna Love Somebo

I Don't Want to Love Somebody Else

(I Don't Want to Love Somebody Else- A Great Big World)

"I'm leaving." Talia announced, turning on her heel and heading for her bedroom.

"What?" Sam cried, instinctively stepping toward the retreating girl.

"Talia, stop." Dean said, following her.

This time she didn't slam the door, just stopped in the middle of the room, tangling her fingers in her hair and looking at the ceiling. Stress tightened her entire body, that spark of hatred in her eyes was dulled by overlaying terror. Her hands shook in her hair as she turned to face Dean.

"You're not going to leave."

"I can't stay here. This- this Bezaziel Cas is talking about, if this is really the guy that killed my brother, he's here for me. You guys are in the crossfire right now. If i move, that gets you and Sam out of it." Talia's words tumbled out of her mouth and her eyes were wide and fragile. "You guys need to get out before he actually has reason to kill you too. I won't have you dying because you're too stupid to walk away from me."

"No way. No way am I letting you do this." Dean had planted himself in front of the door and he wouldn't take his eyes off hers.

"Dean I can't lose another family to this bastard!" Talia suddenly shouted, something inside her snapping. She spun around and slammed her fists down onto her desk, a single sob shaking her shoulders.

"Well I'm not going to lose you." Came his low response.

"I'm trying to protect you!" Talia turned to face him. "I won't have your blood on my hands, Dean! I'm not going to lose another baby brother."

"I'm not going to let you leave."

"Well newsflash, Winchester, you're not my boss! I can leave if I want to and you're not going to stop me!" Her fists were balled and she stepped closer to Dean, getting in his space. He stood resolutely in front of the doorway.

"Newsflash, Nolan, I'm a foot taller than you and about twice the size. I'm pretty sure I can stop you." His voice was brittle now, his jaw set and the feeling pushed from his eyes.

"Let me leave, Dean. I need to fight this on my own. For once, you and Sam aren't part of this. Let it go, Dean. You can get out of it! Leave this bunker, go find a nice girl, someone who you can be with without being threatened because of. You deserve that, you deserve better. You have a chance right now, don't waste it." Stormy emotions clouded her eyes.

"The second I let you leave, you'll stick your head out and be discovered and killed, probably before the end of the day. I can't let that happen. And if it means handcuffing you to a post in the bunker, so be it." He'd separated himself from emotions then. Feelings would just be a net for him to trip over in this situation, and he knew it. Priority one was to make sure she stayed here until they could make a real plan.

Everything between them had been left unspoken, they'd each buried it alive in their own minds and now it was screaming in their heads. Months of built up tension stiffened Dean's muscles, made Talia clench her fists at her sides.

Dean's mind was screaming at him to hold her and stop her and protect her and keep her from the onslaught of danger he sensed around the corner. The broken glass look of her eyes wrenched his heart. He knew he shouldn't go on hoping that she would change her mind, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep her here if she wanted to go avenge the death of her brother, but oh how he longed. How he longed for quieter days and peaceful times where he could love without knowing his heart would be broken. He longed to one day start again, to meet the girl in the diner and talk in a bar and have a life without having to constantly watch his back and be the soldier he'd been forced to become. He longed to go back to the feeling of the days he had before that cursed day of his childhood, where he'd been loved and cherished and safe and cared for. He longed to be able to feel arms around him and know what it was like to be truly loved.

But he knew those days were lost, and the survival of those he cared for depended upon his ability to be a soldier and protect them.

Oh, to hold her in his arms.

Talia knew it was time to tell him it was over, that that was the only way for him to let her go so she could do what she needed to do, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew the loneliness would kill her if she let this go, that it was the only way to protect him. But then she thought of another girl in his arms, and the thought made her want to wrap her arms round his waist and never let go. She knew, then, that she didn't want to love somebody else. Before she'd been caught in a dream, but now she saw the extent of what staying, what being with Dean would mean.

It would mean constant fear for him, a constant need to protect him. Constantly looking over her shoulder and wanting him to be far from conflict. Never being safe or having a moment of peace. Even higher risk of death than she already had. And that was just it. They were both already probably going to die, might as well enjoy what small, miserable life they had, right?

It meant refuge in his arms, it meant a home to return to and someone to fall back on when she came home wishing she'd been killed. It meant a shoulder to cry on and a family to rest in the embrace of. It meant hope. It meant a reason to fight, and a reason to come back.

She did not want to love somebody else.

This life, this torturous, beautiful, painfully sweet life was what she wanted.

Dean felt the shift in her as she relaxed, the ice in her eyes fading as she met his gaze with her flaming gold eyes.

"I don't want anybody else. Even if this means dying a horrible death next week, this is what I choose." Dean said, the emotional wall fracturing. And when she responded with a tearful smile, the wall came tumbling down.

Then his arms were around her and her fingers were in his hair and her tears were on his shirt and he wasn't quite sure where he ended and she began and he knew he never wanted to let her go.

With that action, it was as if they'd signed a contract. The Nolan was now a Winchester and they were all in this mess together.

Somewhere, even Bezaziel could sense this. And now, he knew the weakness, just where to strike. And to top that off, he had a plan. They'd wish he'd killed them before he was done.


End file.
